Pubs fighting it out for fewer customer as coffee shops steal trade

UK pubs are increasingly losing out to coffee shops when it comes to customer visits, with a million less adults visiting pubs last year, a research company has said.

Over 3.6m more adults are going to coffee shops in 2017 than they did in 2010, marking a 43% surge in their popularity, while over the same period over a million fewer visited pubs or bars, marking a 17.5% decline.

The data reveals that the number of British consumers visiting coffee shops at least once a week has significantly increased in the past seven years from 6.2m consumers in 2010, to 9.8m in 2017.

This increase is even greater for 15 to 24-year-olds, with over 80% more of them visiting coffee shops today.

In contrast the number of consumers visiting a pub or bar at least once a week has plummeted from 10.3 million consumers in 2010, to 9m in 2017.

Sarah Golding, IPA president and CEO, said: “These figures bring into sharp focus the extent to which cafe culture has taken over. With cafes providing a safe, social space, and often offering free wifi, it is any wonder that their popularity is soaring for individuals, families and professionals. At the same time, however, the cost of alcohol in supermarkets vs pubs and bars makes it hard for pubs to compete for consumers’ finances and free time.”